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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — a song
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com